Suspected militants detonated an explosive device at a girls' school in Shawa, a town in North Waziristan district, Pakistan. The attack occurred on Wednesday night at the Aafia Islamic Girls Model School, the only educational institution for girls in the area. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident.
According to local police chief Amjad Wazir, the attackers targeted the school, where 150 girls were enrolled, causing significant damage to the structure. The insurgents also assaulted the school guard before fleeing the scene. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it is believed to be the work of Islamic militants who oppose the education of women.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a 'despicable and cowardly act' that could hinder the educational opportunities of young girls. UNICEF representative Abdullah Fadil emphasized the importance of girls' education in national progress and criticized the destruction of the school in an underserved area.
Pakistan has faced previous attacks on girls' schools, particularly in regions like the Swat Valley, where the Pakistani Taliban once held sway. The Taliban's opposition to female education was highlighted in the 2012 attack on Malala Yousafzai, a young advocate for girls' education who later won the Nobel Peace Prize.
While the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have been pushed out of certain areas in recent years, concerns remain about the security situation in the region. The TTP maintains ties with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.
